Stephen King is a household name and one of the most successful authors of our time. With a long career filled with the writing of over 50 novels and 200 short stories, many of which have been turned into films or other media, it's hard to think his life was anything but easy.
King did have a hard life, however. Before his success, he had to deal with his father leaving him at a young age and, as a writer, had to deal with rejection after rejection. He went from job to job trying to support his family and at one point worked as a janitor in a high school.
Not too long after, King started a book set in a girls' bathroom, inspired by his time as a janitor, but quickly discarded it because he didn't like it. His wife found it in the trash, however, and encouraged him to finish it because she liked it. He did, and 'Carrie' was born. The book was his big break, earning the financially troubled King a $2,500 advance.
The paperback rights were then bought by another company for $400,000 which King split with his publishing company, allowing King to quit his job and focus on writing full-time. The hardcover sold only 13,000 copies, while the paperback sold over 1 million copies in the first year alone.
